Leaving without saying Goodbye
by xxHawkeye
Summary: With everything that was happening, Garcia finally has enough and leaves. Naturally, Rossi and Garcia matching. Now complete !
1. Chapter 1: Gone

There were days when members of the BAU team seriously considered retiring, days when cases were hard to deal with, when cases got to someone. However, they never acted on that thought. They always found ways to deal, found comfort in each other's presence. The BAU were a team but they were also a family. They were always there for each other no matter what, no matter what time, whether it be day or night, they were there for one another. After all, it was kind of hard to pretend everything was fine when your surrogate family were some of the best profilers, hard for the others except a certain blond technical analyst who had a knack for acting; Penelope Garcia.

Garcia was a kind-hearted person by nature so she always took cases a little personal and hard no matter what. But the recent events had brought her down, her usual peppy and positive mood had become rather dark. First trigger was Kevin, nice as he was, she didn't want to marry him and live on a farm, also she didn't love him. Second trigger was her apartment getting broken into. Third trigger was spending 4 days locked in her office trying to get a hacker out of the FBI's system, eventually achieving but also getting questioned by Chief Section Strauss about her ability as one of the best in the FBI. Fourth trigger was the Boston case where a man had kidnapped 7 children, tortured and murdered them, videotaping at the same time. Hotch had asked her to watch the video's to find anything relevant that could help the case but with a soul like hers, it was hard to do. After telling Hotch for the 2nd time she hadn't found anything and was finding it hard to watch the video, he had yelled at her; ''You're part of a profiling team, start acting like a part of the team and try harder!'' She understood where he was coming from, he was on edge, just like everyone, and the kids reminded him of Jack. She knew he regretted what he said, that he was sorry but it still hurt non-the-less. Final straw, the final trigger, was finding out that the man she was in love with had been dating the BAU's Barbie for the past 6 months. She knew she didn't have a chance with him, but it didn't stop her from feeling all the emotions that she felt when she saw them in the parking lot.

Putting all that together is what brought Penelope Garcia to Section Chief Strauss' office with her resignation letter in hand. ''Ms. Garcia, are you sure about this?'' she asked while looking over the letter, ''yes m'am'' answered Garcia. Strauss looked at her carefully, reading in between the lines, ''Ms. Garcia'' she started but got cut before she could utter another word, ''m'am, a lot has happened lately, both on a professional and personal level. I think it be best if I left, that way I wouldn't be compromising cases. I've thought about this a lot and I believe this is the best way'' she said and watched Strauss think about what she had just said. ''I could give you personal time instead'' she said, ''I think it's best to leave. I promise to be good, I won't hack into anything'' answered Garcia. Strauss looked over Garcia carefully and knew she wouldn't be able to change her mind, ''very well. I will give this to Agent Hotchner before I leave today'' she said and signed the paper. Garcia let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding and thanked Strauss, ''Ms. Garcia, tell him before you leave'' called out Strauss as Garcia was leaving. Garcia nodded and left, feeling a burden lift her shoulders. The team had left early in the morning to handle a case in Chicago, which is why Garcia went to see Strauss after they had left. She had exactly one week to clean out her office and leave before the team came back and tried to stop her, so she'd be extra careful; taking out the boxes after everyone had left and making sure she wasn't on video call with the team when they called. Everything went as planned and by Sunday she was ready to leave. Her apartment had been cleaned for a while now, she had her plane ticket ready, in the name of her brother, and she had sold Esther to her downstairs neighbor. She slept in HIS office at night, on HIS couch. Finally, Sunday came and a couple of hours before the team landed, Garcia looked around the empty BAU one last time and left.

Back at the BAU, the team had finally arrived in a good mood. The case had gone well; they had caught the Unsub and his last victim was still alive. They went to their respective desks and started their reports before heading out to a local bar. Hotch and Rossi went to their offices and closed their doors not wanting the noise of the happy team to bother them; the team was supposed to start their reports but instead were talking loudly and joking around. Hotch sat down and started to go through his mail, seeing he had a letter from Strauss, he opened it and his happy mood became darker and darker as he read the letter. Opening his door, he knocked on Rossi's and headed out to the bullpen, waiting for the latest to arrive before giving them the awful news. ''What's going on Aaron?'' asked Rossi when he arrived and saw Hotch's dark mood. ''I don't know how to tell you so I'm just going to say it'' he said, ''tell us what Hotch?'' asked JJ. Hotch sighed, ''Garcia resigned'' he said. The whole teams mood went down; Reid put his head in his hands, Emily and JJ were crying, Morgan was trying to call her and Rossi couldn't speak or let out a sound, he was completely shocked and heartbroken. ''Can't be! It can't be!'' yelled Morgan before getting up and leaving, nobody following him because they knew where he was going. Half an hour later, Morgan arrived at Garcia's apartment building. Seeing her car there, he had hope and went straight upstairs to her apartment. He knocked a couple of times before starting to bang, ''Baby girl!'' he yelled, not caring that the neighbors would hear. He took out his keys and unlocked the door, only to find himself in a completely empty apartment. Sinking to his knees, he put his head in his hands and started to sob, missing his Baby Girl more than anything.

David Rossi arrived at his mansion with a heavy heart. He had been in love with her and now she was gone, it felt like part of him was gone too. He made his way to the liquor cabinet in the corner of his living room wanting to become numb, needing to become numb, to forget about the day's events and hoping to wake up only to realise this was all a dream. Arriving at the cabinet, he sees a light blue envelope with his name on it, taking it out and knowing who it was from, he gently opened it and read

_My dearest profiler,_

_I'm sorry for leaving, I'm especially sorry for leaving without saying goodbye, I'm even more sorry for not saying this to you myself, but I couldn't leave without telling you the truth. The truth is, I'm in love with you. It was getting harder and harder to concentrate, to put aside my feelings for you and it was starting to compromise my work as a technical analyst because I couldn't stop thinking about you. I fought so long to put aside my feelings, tried to make myself understand that it couldn't happen between us. I hope that one day you'll forgive me for leaving and for not telling you how I felt. Please know that you made it easier for me, when things became rough, you were always around to make my day better and for that I am eternally grateful. I left without saying goodbye because I knew that if you asked me to stay, I would've. I'll always carry you in my heart, always and forever. All my love,_

_Your Kitten_

David sat down on the couch and started to cry. He held on to the envelope as if it was life or death. He could smell her scent coming from the envelope and his heart broke even more than it had already been. She loved him, just like he loved her and now she was gone. He now had to live with the knowledge of losing the woman he was madly in love with and that hurt more than her leaving. The only comfort he now had was the envelope that he held to his heart.

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**I might add another chapter but I haven't decided yet, I'll let you guys decide. Comments are appreciated as always :)**


	2. Chapter 2: I will find her

The months following Garcia's resignation were hard for the team, but they were even harder for Rossi, who blamed himself for her leaving. Since she left he hardly slept, hardly ate, spent his free time drinking and thinking of her. He started not showing up for briefings or even showing up drunk or hungover, he even sometimes didn't show up for cases. David Rossi was beginning to lose it, Garcia had been his light and now that she was gone, he was surrounded by darkness. He spent his nights at home, drinking and looking at a picture of him and Garcia. Hotch had been worried about his friend. He knew Rossi had been in love with her but he underestimated the love itself, never realising what she meant for Rossi. How could he not see? A legendary profiler who saw it all and came back to the BAU to see it all again, he had to have some way to deal with it and now Hotch realised how he dealt with everything they saw; Garcia.

Keeping the information in mind is what brought Hotch to Rossi's door after the older profiler neglected to show up for a case once again. ''What?'' barked Rossi when he opened the door. ''May I come in?'' asked Hotch, ignoring the slightly swaying man in front of him. ''Why?'' he asked, ''we need to talk'' he said, ''about?'' asked Rossi, clearly getting frustrated, ''let me in and find out'' was Hotch's answer. Sighing, the older man stepped aside and let him pass. Hotch made his way to the living room and noticed how Rossi was taking it hard for the very first time; his normally clean house looked like a dump. There were dirty clothes and towels all over the place, empty bottles of wine and scotch as well as beer were scattered around, there were dirty glasses and plates as well as empty take out containers littering the floor. Then he saw it; the pale blue envelope and the picture of Garcia. He picked it up and looked at it, smiling a little but jumped when Rossi ripped the picture out of his hands and held it possessively. ''What do you want?'' he asked, ''how are you?'' asked Hotch. Rossi narrowed his eyes, ''you could of had called instead'' he said, ignoring the question, ''why? So you could clean up to hide how much you're hurting?'' said Hotch as he moved a plate from the couch and sat down. ''I don't know what you're talking about'' replied Rossi. ''Penelope is gone Dave, she would want you to move on'' said Hotch, he saw the hurt cross his friends eyes, ''she might be gone for you but not for me'' he replied quietly as he looked down at the framed picture in his hands, a tear sliding down his face. Hotch got up and put a hand on his friends shoulder, ''we all miss her. But you can't stop living.'' Rossi looked at his friends, and the hurt he saw sent a jolt of pain through him, ''I love her Aaron. She was my everything and now she's gone'' he said, tears falling freely now. ''I know, Dave, I know'' he said and hugged his friend. ''She loved me too. I thought she wouldn't want to be with me but she loved me. And I didn't tell her, she would of had stayed if I had told her. It's all my fault that she left, all my fault'' by now he was sobbing. Hotch rubbed his back and held him while he cried, thinking that it was about time he let it out.

After putting an exhausted Rossi to bed, Hotch went back downstairs and started to clean. The mess was bigger than he expected when he closed the lights from room to room. Finally done, he realised there was one thing missing; Mudgie! He looked everywhere again and even went outside but he couldn't find the chocolate lab. ''He's not here'' replied a sad voice. Jumping, he looked around and saw that Rossi had woken up, ''I always wake up a couple hours after falling asleep'' he said as he saw the question flit through his younger friend. ''Where is Mudgie?'' asked Hotch, still a little confused. Rossi didn't answer right away as he walked to his liquor cabinet and took out a bottle of scotch and pouring himself a drink, ''with wife number 3'' answered Rossi without looking at Hotch, ''I can hardly take care of myself, I wasn't going to let the poor boy suffer because of me. So I let Katherine take him. She always had a soft spot for him.'' Hotch looked at his friend, ''Dave, maybe you should go back to bed. You can still sleep a while more before going to work'' but the older man didn't turn. Instead, he poured himself another drink and sat down in an armchair beside the cabinet. ''I'm leaving, indefinitely'' he said and looked up at his friend in time to see shock pass through his face, ''Dave, we already lost Garcia, we can't lose you too'' he said. Rossi shrugged, ''what's the use when she's not there anymore?'' Hotch scoffed, ''so you're going to throw away your career, for a woman?'' he said, raising his voice. ''I already had my career, and yes, I'd be willing to throw it away, not for any woman, but for her. She's worth it, Aaron'' answered casually Rossi. Hotch sat down and tried to calm down, ''Dave, please don't leave. The team wouldn't recover from another blow like this'' he said, almost pleading. ''I'm leaving to find her'' said Rossi as he refilled his glass. ''You're not thinking straight. You can't find her. We're talking about Garcia here! We tried, remember? She doesn't want to be found and believe me she won't be found'' said Hotch, trying to shake sense into his friend. ''I remember. What you don't know is that I found a lead'' he said. Hotch lost it, ''you found a lead? You found a lead and didn't feel like sharing?'' he yelled. Rossi looked up at his friend, ''Aaron, please don't yell'' he said, ''After you guys gave up, I continued to look for her and found the lead not too long ago. You wonder what I do when I'm not at work or with you guys, truth is, I'm looking for her.'' Hotch looked at his friend, ''so you've become obsessed with finding her'' he said. Rossi shrugged and emptied his glass, ''which part of 'I love her' didn't you understand? I don't think I can live without her'' he said and emptied another glass. Hotch got up and took the bottle away from him, ''Dave, as your supervisor, I'm telling you to let go and get over it'' he said. ''But as a friend?'' asked Rossi, sensing there was more, ''as a friend, I'm telling you to not come back until you have found her'' he continued with a smile. Hotch put the bottle on the table and got up to leave, ''thank you'' said Rossi. Hotch turned to look at his friend, ''for what?'' he asked. Rossi looked around, ''cleaning up'' he said with a small laugh. Hotch smiled and left. Emptying his glass one last time, Rossi took the picture of him and Garcia and sighed, ''I'm going to find you. One way or another, you and I will be together again'' he whispered.

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**Thank you to everyone who commented. You are right, this needs another chapter. I re-read the previous chapter and thought this needed to continue. Thank you again to everyone who read and commented, it is greatly appreciated :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Together Again

Penelope sighed as she looked at her calendar; 2 years to the day since she left. 2 years since she left her friends, her family, and the man of her dreams. She moved around a lot since she left, unable to make herself feel at home. She started out going to Paris but it reminded her of when Emily had ''died''. Unable to walk through the streets without thinking of her friend she decided to leave. She decided to go to Los Angeles but after seeing the team would be staying at her Hotel, she left immediately. She then went to Italy but everything reminded her of HIM; the smells, the food, the wine, even the men. She left the beautiful place and made her way to England and stayed there for 5 months. She didn't know why she left, she just did. She ended up renting a small cottage on the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii. She loved it there; she lived right on the beach, had the best view for both sunrises and sunsets, it was warm and the people were nice. Every morning and every evening she'd take a walk on the beach and watch the sunrise or the sunset.

It was with a heavy sigh that she left her cottage for a walk on the beach to watch the sunset. Her thoughts kept drifting back to HIM, to the man she loved so much, even after the 2 years she spent away from him. She stopped and looked over the water at the sun slowly going down. Letting the tears fall freely, she thought of him, ''I miss you so much Dave'' she whispered. ''I miss you too Kitten'' whispered a voice behind her. Turning around, she came face to face with David Rossi.

Not giving her time to recover, he gently grabbed her by the waist, bent down and kissed her. Shocked at first but recovering soon enough, she returned the kiss as she grabbed the front of his shirt. They kissed hungrily until they needed air, then holding on to one another. He smelled her hair, thankful it wasn't a dream this time, thankful she truly was in his arms. He had missed her so much, he wasn't sure he'd be able to let her go, even for a second. Taking in his scent, she smiled against his chest, thinking it was a dream. ''I finally found you mia Bella'' he whispered against her hair. Realising she was awake she looked up but before she could say something, his lips found hers. ''Dave'' she whispered against his lips, ''what are you doing here?'' He chuckled, ''kissing you'' he whispered back before kissing her again. Unable to resist, she kissed him back. ''I mean, what are you doing HERE?'' she whispered when they came up for air. ''I've been looking for you'' he said and looked at her. He brushed a piece of hair away from her face, placing it gently behind her ear, ''Bella, I was heartbroken when you left. We all looked for you but I continued when they gave up. I couldn't let you go, I can't let you go. I love you'' he said. She couldn't believe what he was saying, ''I've been in love with you since the first time we met. I just never thought you could feel the same way so I kept my distance, and then you started to see Lynch and I wanted to rip you out of his hands, I thought that maybe if I could be your friend, I'd feel better but the thought of him with you just made me angry. I just gave up, and then you broke up with him and I saw the light, I had decided to tell you how I felt but you left before I could tell you'' he explained, ''ever since, I've been looking for you, looking for'' she kissed him before he could finish.

After spending hours on the beach, kissing and holding on to each other, they made their way to the small cottage and sat on the couch, still holding on to each other. ''How is everyone?'' she asked quietly, ''still grieving over losing you'' he whispered against her hair, ''Emily and Reid turned to one another for comfort. They've been together for a year now. JJ left to work with the Pentagon, Morgan hasn't been able to use a computer since you left and started to see a shrink, Hotch acts like he got over it but everyone knows he's taking it hard and misses you''. Garcia shivered as her eyes filled up with tears, ''and I've become the BAU's drunk'' he continued with a chuckle. Tears were sliding down her face freely now, ''I didn't mean to hurt anyone'' she said. Immediately, he pulled her closer and rubbed her back, ''shh, it's alright. I know you didn't want to hurt anyone. You didn't know they would take it hard'' he whispered. He let her cry until she fell asleep, then he carried her to her bed, tucked her in, climbed in after her and pulled her close. Feeling her beside him, he was finally able to fall asleep peacefully.

Waking up the next morning, she thought for a second that the night before had been a dream. Feeling his arm around her waist, holding her protectively, made her smile, making her feel peaceful and completely happy. ''Morning mia bella gattino'' he whispered. ''Gattino?'' she asked, he smiled, ''mhmm, means kitten'' he said and kissed her shoulder. She smiled and turned to look at him, ''what now?'' she asked, her smile disappearing, ''I'm not sure if I'm ready to go back, heck I'm not sure if I'm ready to see everyone again''. He smiled lightly and kissed her tenderly, ''un giorno alla volta, Bella'' he whispered against her lips. She raised an eyebrow, earning a chuckle from and a kiss, ''one day at a time, my love. We'll deal with it when we get there but for now let's just enjoy the moment'' he said and kissed her in a way he'd never kiss a woman before; with passion, tenderness, love and sweetness. He didn't care about the future, didn't care about going back to the BAU, as long as he was with the woman who made him fall deeply in love.


	4. Chapter 4: Reunion

''So you found her? Seriously?'' asked Hotch after receiving a phone call from his friend. ''Yeah, I did and I'm not kidding Aaron. I really truly found her'' answered Rossi with a laugh, ''well? Where are you? When are you coming back?'' asked Hotch suddenly excited. ''Calm down before you give yourself a heart attack'' laughed Rossi, ''we made a quick stop in Italy. We're leaving for DC sometime this afternoon''. Hotch laughed when he heard his friend being happy for the first time since Garcia had left. Promising to be there when they arrived, Hotch hung up and laid back in his seat, smiling. Picking up his phone again and dialing a number, he brought the receiver to his ear and waited for the person to answer. ''JJ, it's Hotch. He found her. They'll be here by tomorrow'' said Hotch. Satisfied by her answer, he hung up and went down to the bullpen to announce the good news. ''He found her'' said Hotch. Everybody turned around to look at him. ''Are you serious?'' asked Reid, slowly getting up. Hotch smiled and nodded. Morgan got up, ''when are they getting here?'' asked Emily. Morgan was speechless and had a mix of emotions passing through his eyes, ''they'll be here tomorrow'' said Hotch. Reid and Emily kissed, while Hotch moved towards Morgan, ''it's normal to feel angry'' he said. Morgan scoffed, ''I don't know what I'm feeling''. Hotch smiled, ''it's normal. Just give it time''. Morgan passed his hand over his face, ''what am I going to do when I see? I don't know what I'm feeling. What if she expects things to go back the way it used to be?'' Hotch sighed, ''listen Morgan. When you see her, you'll know how you feel''. Morgan nodded and headed out while Hotch returned to his office.

_Meanwhile in Italy:_

After Rossi hung up he joined his Kitten, who was standing by the bed. Grabbing her gently by the waist, he pulled her to him and kissed her neck, ''ready to return home?'' he asked. She sighed, ''I'm not sure'', Rossi chuckled, ''Scared?'' he asked, she nodded. He understood why she was afraid; she had left without saying goodbye and hurt the team even if it wasn't her intention. He kept her close to him and sighed, ''so what do we do while waiting?'' asked Garcia, as she looked up at her man. Suddenly, a gleam appeared in his eyes and a small smile grew on his lips, ''well, I can think of a thing or two'' he said seductively and bent down to kiss her again. Smiling against his lips, she felt him push her on the bed.

_Back in DC:_

By the time they had landed, Garcia's heart was racing. She was nervous, she knew her Super-Agent had called Hotch, and she knew they'd be waiting for them. Sensing his sweetheart was troubled, he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, ''don't worry. Everything will be all right'' he whispered. Keeping her hand in his, they passed through the metal detectors and as expected, the team was waiting for them. JJ, Reid and Emily were holding signs that said ''Welcome Home Penny!'' while Hotch, Morgan and Will were holding colorful balloons and teddy bears. Squeezing her hand gently, Rossi lead her towards their waiting team.

Emily was the first to reach Garcia. She immediately hugged Garcia, showing she wasn't angry at her for leaving. Next was JJ who took Emily's place, ''so happy to see you'' she whispered. Then Hotch took JJ's place and hugged Garcia, ''welcome back, and congratulation'' he said. ''Congrats for what?'' asked Emily. Hotch stepped aside, Morgan noticed it the first. He knew both his friends had feelings for each other but afraid of losing his best friend, he didn't say anything. Chuckling as he moved forward, he hugged his best friend fiercely, ''Congratulations. I'm happy for you guys'' he said as he let her go. She smiled at him, then Reid took Morgan's place and hugged her, releasing her quickly. Before she could say anything, Jack and Henry jumped in her arms; ''Aunt Penny! Aunt Penny! Welcome Back!'' they said. She kissed both of their heads and looked at her team, knowing it was time. ''I'm sorry everyone'' she said, ''it wasn't my intention to hurt anyone. I thought you'd move on. I am so sorry'' she started to cry, before anybody could do anything, Rossi was by her side gently stroking her hair as she cried on his shoulder. The team now understood why Hotch and Morgan congratulated them. ''Everybody's got a breaking point'' said Hotch, ''you took the decision to leave and it'S a choice we'll have to accept''. The team nodded, agreeing with Hotch. ''If you guys are mad or anything, I'll understand'' said Garcia. Emily took Garcia's hands in hers and looked her in the eyes, ''I know now how you all felt when I 'died', so I'm not going to be angry with you''. Garcia smiled as Emily and JJ hugged her, feeling more than happy.

Rossi watched as his Kitten interacted with the team. He was glad everybody were happy to have her back, he was more happy that the team accepted them. The team decided to celebrate at a restaurant, as they walked in, Rossi took Garcia's hand, stopping her. ''Are you happy?'' he asked, grabbing her gently by the waist. She smiled, ''more than I've ever been'' she answered. He smiled back and kissed her. Inside the restaurant, the team were smiling and cheering for the new couple.


	5. Chapter 5: Epilogue

4 years had passed since Garcia came back. Emily and Reid had gotten married. Emily wanted kids but Reid was hesitant, not wanting to pass his mothers' schizophrenia gene to their kids. Emily understood so she didn't press him. JJ gave birth to a girl whom she named Amanda. She had returned to work for the BAU shortly after Garcia had returned. Following her divorce, Strauss became more lenient towards the BAU, becoming a valuable friend and bending the frat-policies for Emily, Spencer, Garcia and Rossi. Hotch had found love unexpectedly; he realised he had feelings for Jessica, Hailey's sister. They explored their relationship, eventually getting serious. Morgan hadn't found his dream girl yet, stating he was comfortable being single. However, he had started a relationship with the BAU's secretary shortly after his statement. The BAU's Barbie, Melinda, had spread the rumor that she had been dating Rossi. After finding out she never had a chance with him, and never would, she left the BAU and joined the army as a nurse.

As for David and Penelope, they were the happiest couple there was. He had convinced her to move in with him, which she accepted right away. She eventually returned to the BAU and continued her job as best technical analyst at the FBI, as well as being the teams' ray of light. David spoiled her, getting her everything she wanted, finally proposing to her during the New Years party. After the wedding and a three month honey-moon to Italy, Paris, Fiji Islands and Brazil, Penelope found out she was pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby boy which they named James David Rossi in honor of his first son that had passed. Two years after James was born, she found out she was pregnant again but decided she wanted to be surprised by the sex, not wanting to know it before the birth.

The BAU were the most efficient team the FBI had. They continued to work to capture serial killers and psychopaths, not as a team but as a family. They met together every week to unwind and comfort each other, so that nobody would leave without saying goodbye were after all world renowned profilers, unable to lie to one another, no matter how good of an actor they were.

~FIN~

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**Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed my story, it is greatly appreciated! :) This chapter is mostly a sort of ''recap'' of what happened after Chapter 4.**

**So, this is the end of my story, I hope you guys enjoyed it. I will be starting college next week so I won't have a lot of time to update my stories but will try to update every now and then. **

**Disclaimer; I unfortunately don't own Criminal Minds, wish I did though. I only borrowed the characters.**


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